Process of separating shoes and lasts.



E. B. GRUSH.

PROCESS OF SEPARATING SHOES AND LASTS.

APPLICATION FILED .MAY12| 1916.

L258,59., 131611161 Jan.15,1918.

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ELMER 1B. GRUSH, 0F BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESN'E ASSIGNMENTS.

TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A COR- POTION OF NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS OF SEPARATING SHOES AND LASTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 15, 19318..

Application filed. May 12, 1916. Serial No. 97,063.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER B. GRUSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Processes of Separating Shoes and Lasts, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to a novel process of pulling lasts from shoes by which suction within the shoe through the withdrawal of the last is avoided and damage to the shoe prevented. Incidentally, the process permits the shoe making operation substantionally to be expedited.

It has been found that in pulling lasts from shoes a vacuum or a partial vacuum is created in the toe of the shoe. as the last is withdrawn, and with soft toes or box toes in a wet, flexible condition, the suction is sufficient to distort the form of the toe by sucking the leather inwardly. This is particularly true when the lasts are pulled from the shoes by power, as by a last pulling machine such as is later re'erred to.

My new process consists in effecting relative movement between the shoe and last to separate the shoe and last, and in introducing air within the toe portion of the shoe as, for example, by an air duct extending through the last to its toe end, as the toe end of the last moves from within the toe portion of the shoe.

The described process of pulling the lasts from the shoes is particularly advantageous when practised in the making of McKay shoes. In the manufacture of shoes of this type, the upper is lasted over the insole with the leather in a very moist and flexible condition and it has been necessary to delay further operations upon the shoe until the leather has become sufficiently dry to permit the last to be pulled from the partially made shoe without sucking in the toe cap. This has involved an otherwise unnecessary delay before the last could be pulled and the outsole and heel attached.

By utilizing my new process, this delay is avoided and the last may be pulled while the upper and toe box is in a moist, flexible condition, and the lasted shoe immediately passed to the operator for attaching the outsole and then the heel.

With lasts having toes materially raised to provide a high boxing, the suction created by withdrawing the last is very substantial. Even with lasts having toes of less pronounced elevation, substantial suction is created within the toe box by the withdrawal of the last. While the described process is particularly advantageous when practised in the manufacture of McKay shoes/and of welt shoes having soft toe caps, it may also be utilized to advantage in connection with other types of shoes.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my process as practised in connection with the manufacture of McKay shoes, the last being pulled from the shoe by a last pulling machine of the type described in United States Letters Patent numbered 1,203,571, issued November 7, 1916, upon the application of John M. Benjamin.

In these drawings,

Figure 1 is a View in elevation of last pulling instrumentalities of the type referred to cooperating with a last, over which the upper of a McKay shoe has been lasted to the insole, part of the shoe and last being shown in section and the last being fully within the shoe, as at the beginning of the last pulling operation; and

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of these parts with the last partially pulled from the shoe.

In practising the last pulling process with last pulling instrumentalities of the type described, the upper 2 (of a McKay shoe for instance) is mounted over its last at and is lasted and tacked to the insole in the usual manner. It is then operated upon by suitable means to pull the last from the shoe. As shown, the heel end of the shoe is placed against a back stop 6 and is gripped at opposite sides of the counter by grippers 8, the last block 10 having previously been pulled. A last pin mounted upon a carrier arm 12 is then engaged with the last thimble and the last is pulled from the shoe by interconnectcd pulling members, comprising a bell crank having its upper arm 14 pivoted to the rear end of the carrier 12 and having the forward end of its lower arm 16 pivoted to the upper end of a rod 18 encircled by a coiled spring 20 which is compressed as the plunger 22 connected to the bell crank is moved downwardly by power, the movement of the parts being indicated by the showing in Fig 2 of the drawings.

As previously practised, this action has resulted in the creation of a vacuum or partial vacuum in the toe portion of the shoe. According to my process, however, the formation of a vacuum is prevented by equalizing the air pressure within and without the toe portion of the .shoe. As shown herein, the last 4; is formed with a bore 24: therein extending diagonally from the toe end of the last to the lower end of the recess in the face of the last in which the block 10 normally rests. When the block is pulled from the last, as is always the case in removing the last from the shoe, an air duct is provided bythe bore 24 by which the air enters the toe portion of the shoe as the last is Withdrawn from the toe portion, thereby equalizing the air pressure and preventing the formation of a vacuum or a partial vacuum. The process is independent of the particular means by which the pressure is equalized and the illustrated means is but one of a number which may be employed to provide equal pressure. The particular form of last illustrated forms the subjectmatter of my co-pending application for Letters Patent for improvements in lasts, filed June 5, 1916, Serial No. 101,77

In the appended claims it is to be understood that the term shoe may refer to different types of shoes at different stages of manufacture. For instance, the last is pulled from a McKay shoe after the upper has been lasted over the insole, and is pulled from a welt shoe after the outsole and heel have been attached. The term shoe, therefore, refers to the shoe structure either in the stage where the upper has been lasted to the insole or to a later stage of manufacture where the shoe is substantially finished.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The process of separating shoes and lasts which consists in eifecting relative movement between the shoe and the last last moves from within the toe portion of the shoe.

3. The process of separating shoes and lasts which consists in effecting relative movement between the shoe and the last upon which the shoe has been formed to separate the shoe and last and in introducing air through the last into the inside of the toe portion of the shoe as the toe end of said lastmoves from within the toe portion of the shoe.

4:. The process of separating shoes and lasts which consists in pulling from the shoe the last upon which the shoe has been formed and in introducing air within the toe portion of the shoe as the toe end of said last is pulled from within the toe portion of the shoe.

5. The process' of separating shoes and lasts which consists in pulling from the shoe the last upon Which the shoe has been formed and in equalizing the air pressure within and without the toe portion of the shoe as the toe end of said last is pulledv from within the toe portion of the shoe.

6. The process of pulling from a shoe the last upon which the shoe has been formed which consists in holding the shoe and pulling the last from within the held shoe and introducing air through the last into the inside of the toe portion of the shoe as the ,toe end of the last is pulled from within the toe portion of the shoe.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ELMER B. GRUSH. 

